eyewitness account from Nablus
frank | 25.01.2004 10:52 | Anti-militarism | Repression | Cambridge
I received this account from a friend of mine living in Nablus. She and I are both Jewish and are increasingly appalled at the way in which the Army perpetuates the cycle of violence. Out of these 100s of traumatised victims, I wonder how many got to the end of the day and thought 'We must have understanding for the Jewish people, and maybe not all Israelis are soldiers, maybe some are normal people'? If there were any, it would be a miracle. If none of these victims contemplate suicide bombing, it will also be a miracle and no thanks to the Israeli Army. But I hope ridiculously that these miracles somehow happen.
Two weeks ago the IOF and news sources claimed the invasion of Nablus
ended. Daily operations continue, showing that the army has not, and does
not plan to leave. Last week soldiers surrounded the house of
curtain-maker, Abdul al-Qassa. They arrested al-Aqsa activist Ibrahim
Attari who was sleeping in the house. After taking both Attari and
al-Qassa out of the house, soldiers demanded that al-Qassa tell them who
Attari was and why he was sleeping in his out. He replied that he did not
know. Soldiers responded by shooting him in the knees, stomach, and
mouth. He died bleeding in front of his house. They then took Attari to
another location and assassinated him.
On Thursday, January 22 a large battalion of jeeps, hummers, tanks and
bulldozers drove into Nablus between 3:00-4:00 a.m. From 4:00 a.m. until
6:00 p.m. the people of Nablus were again under seige.
The center of the operation was focused around Obuaydeh Street, near the
university. The people living in more than 100 houses were imprisoned
inside their homes, without access to food, medical care or allowed to go
to work or school the entire day. In addition, tanks, jeeps and APCs
patrolling the city center prevented people from moving through the city.
No curfew was announced in Nablus, but the heavy soldier presence and
continual shooting imposed a de-facto curfew.
In the morning we received information that children were trapped in 3
schools near the Obuaydeh area. Heavy indiscriminate IOF shooting
surrounded the schools. With medical volunteers, we helped escort
hundreds of terrified girls from their schools. Soldiers attempted to stop
us, first by forbidding us to enter the area by the school; then, as we
were escorting girls out they began shooting into the area.
On Obuaydeh Street over 20 people had been trapped inside a mosque since
4:00 a.m. These people were attending early morning prayers when the army
invaded. Medical volunteers received word that one of the people inside
the mosque needed medical care, so we attempted to reach the mosque. We
were immediately stopped by soldiers who insisted that there were no
people in any of the buildings on the street, including the mosque.
Seeing women and men beckoning me from the windows of the mosque, we
attempted to walk past the soldiers. We were blocked by an APC and an m-16.
As of 1:00 p.m., seven children had been shot in various areas around
Nablus, three of them next to their school. At least three of those shot
were hit with live ammunition, one 10-year old boy sustained a critical
wound to his stomach. I don't know exactly how many were injured the rest
of the day - but many were taken away in ambulances.
The soldiers were searching the area for a resistance fighter that they
believed was in one building. They arrested his brother early in the
morning. Soldiers abducted the elderly mother of the man and forced her
to stand outside of the house and call for him on a megaphone. Not
wanting her son to be killed, she told her son that if he was in the
house, he should stay in the house and have god watch over him.
The operation ended with a large explosion heard as far as 15 miles away.
We were a road down from the home being demolished and were hit with
pieces of glass and rubble - we saw a door frame and scraps of metal
flying past. The person they were looking for was not in the house they were searching. Immediately after the soldiers pulled out, the man they
were looking for emerged from a building across the street, shaken and
ash-white from all of the dust from the explosion. Some people
immediately encircled him and took him away from the scene.
Three buildings were demolished, many more were damaged. Over one hundred
people were left homeless.
Women and men began pouring out into the streets - screaming and crying,
asking, "where is god? where is the world? where is the hope?" Many
women fainted and had to be taken to the hospital. The families in the
homes were not allowed to remove any of their belongings before the
explosion - all of the money, clothes, family picture, etc. were destroyed
in the explosion. Cars were upturned, doors lifted off the frames, and
windows in the houses within a mile radius were destroyed. The windows in
the mosque where people were being imprisoned were all broken, scattering
shards of glass upon the people inside.
On the way back to the old city i met an old woman hunched over, being carried by two men on either side of her. She is the owner of the home
that was completely demolished. She and her husband built the house forty
years ago, serving as a home for their sons and their sons families since
then. All of her life's belongings, her memories were inside the house.
I had no words adequate enough to comfort her.
This operation took over 12 hours - imprisoning hundreds of people in
their homes, injuring many innocent children and leaving over 100 families
homeless.
ended. Daily operations continue, showing that the army has not, and does
not plan to leave. Last week soldiers surrounded the house of
curtain-maker, Abdul al-Qassa. They arrested al-Aqsa activist Ibrahim
Attari who was sleeping in the house. After taking both Attari and
al-Qassa out of the house, soldiers demanded that al-Qassa tell them who
Attari was and why he was sleeping in his out. He replied that he did not
know. Soldiers responded by shooting him in the knees, stomach, and
mouth. He died bleeding in front of his house. They then took Attari to
another location and assassinated him.
On Thursday, January 22 a large battalion of jeeps, hummers, tanks and
bulldozers drove into Nablus between 3:00-4:00 a.m. From 4:00 a.m. until
6:00 p.m. the people of Nablus were again under seige.
The center of the operation was focused around Obuaydeh Street, near the
university. The people living in more than 100 houses were imprisoned
inside their homes, without access to food, medical care or allowed to go
to work or school the entire day. In addition, tanks, jeeps and APCs
patrolling the city center prevented people from moving through the city.
No curfew was announced in Nablus, but the heavy soldier presence and
continual shooting imposed a de-facto curfew.
In the morning we received information that children were trapped in 3
schools near the Obuaydeh area. Heavy indiscriminate IOF shooting
surrounded the schools. With medical volunteers, we helped escort
hundreds of terrified girls from their schools. Soldiers attempted to stop
us, first by forbidding us to enter the area by the school; then, as we
were escorting girls out they began shooting into the area.
On Obuaydeh Street over 20 people had been trapped inside a mosque since
4:00 a.m. These people were attending early morning prayers when the army
invaded. Medical volunteers received word that one of the people inside
the mosque needed medical care, so we attempted to reach the mosque. We
were immediately stopped by soldiers who insisted that there were no
people in any of the buildings on the street, including the mosque.
Seeing women and men beckoning me from the windows of the mosque, we
attempted to walk past the soldiers. We were blocked by an APC and an m-16.
As of 1:00 p.m., seven children had been shot in various areas around
Nablus, three of them next to their school. At least three of those shot
were hit with live ammunition, one 10-year old boy sustained a critical
wound to his stomach. I don't know exactly how many were injured the rest
of the day - but many were taken away in ambulances.
The soldiers were searching the area for a resistance fighter that they
believed was in one building. They arrested his brother early in the
morning. Soldiers abducted the elderly mother of the man and forced her
to stand outside of the house and call for him on a megaphone. Not
wanting her son to be killed, she told her son that if he was in the
house, he should stay in the house and have god watch over him.
The operation ended with a large explosion heard as far as 15 miles away.
We were a road down from the home being demolished and were hit with
pieces of glass and rubble - we saw a door frame and scraps of metal
flying past. The person they were looking for was not in the house they were searching. Immediately after the soldiers pulled out, the man they
were looking for emerged from a building across the street, shaken and
ash-white from all of the dust from the explosion. Some people
immediately encircled him and took him away from the scene.
Three buildings were demolished, many more were damaged. Over one hundred
people were left homeless.
Women and men began pouring out into the streets - screaming and crying,
asking, "where is god? where is the world? where is the hope?" Many
women fainted and had to be taken to the hospital. The families in the
homes were not allowed to remove any of their belongings before the
explosion - all of the money, clothes, family picture, etc. were destroyed
in the explosion. Cars were upturned, doors lifted off the frames, and
windows in the houses within a mile radius were destroyed. The windows in
the mosque where people were being imprisoned were all broken, scattering
shards of glass upon the people inside.
On the way back to the old city i met an old woman hunched over, being carried by two men on either side of her. She is the owner of the home
that was completely demolished. She and her husband built the house forty
years ago, serving as a home for their sons and their sons families since
then. All of her life's belongings, her memories were inside the house.
I had no words adequate enough to comfort her.
This operation took over 12 hours - imprisoning hundreds of people in
their homes, injuring many innocent children and leaving over 100 families
homeless.
frank
